The just completed annual census of the
endangered Wyoming toad located 156 individuals, including 18 adult animals and 138
yearlings, up from just 45 individuals in June of 1998. These small amphibians managed to
survive the rigors of the Laramie Basin's harsh winter after being reintroduced into the
wild from a captive-bred population. The searches, conducted at Mortenson Lake and Hutton
Lake National Wildlife Refuges, were a cooperative effort conducted by personnel from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the University of
Wyoming, and interested volunteers. "We find these survey results encouraging. The
toad is by no means out of the woods, but hopefully the populations will increase through
natural reproduction supported by continued reintroduction efforts, " said Mike Long,
Field Supervisor of the Services Wyoming Field Office. "This has been a
cooperative effort from the beginning, and everyone involved should be proud of the
accomplishments. I am particularly grateful to the local landowners who continue to work
with us to secure the Mortenson Lake population of toads," added Long.

The Wyoming toad, discovered by Dr.
George Baxter in 1946 and listed as endangered in 1984, inhabited the floodplains of the
Big and Little Laramie Rivers and the margins of ponds and small seepage lakes throughout
the basin. However, sightings of wild toads since 1987 have been limited to a 2 square
mile area containing Mortenson Lake. The Wyoming Toad Recovery Plan outlines measures to
protect the Wyoming toad population and habitat at the Mortenson Lake site. These measures
are in place only through the cooperative efforts of the various agencies and private
landowners. The Service, with the assistance of The Nature Conservancy, has acquired the
majority of the existing toad habitat at Mortenson Lake.

The Recovery Plan also calls for reestablishment of toad
populations within the historical range through reintroductions of captive-bred animals.
Currently, nine facilities (including seven zoos, the Services Saratoga National
Fish Hatchery, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Sybille Wildlife Research Unit) are
participating in captive-rearing of Wyoming toads, producing tadpoles and toadlets for use
in future reintroductions. The breeding season is currently in full-swing and has gone
well so far at Sybille and the other facilities. Tadpoles and toadlets from this
captive-breeding season are scheduled for release at the reintroduction sites later this
summer.